Portable ingot strippers



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Richard L. Stuckey R. L. STUCKEY PORTABLE INGOT STRIPPERS July 24, 1962 Filedflune 26, 1959 July 24, 1962 R. STUCKEY 3,045,300

PORTABLE INGOT STRIPPERS Filed June 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 x Flg .4.

INVENTOR I L m Richfll'd L Stuckey This invention relates to portable ingot strippers and, particularly, to apparatus capable of use on an ordinary crane hook and capable of stripping large metal ingots of boththe big-end up and small-end up types.

The stripping of large metal ingots from their molds has long been practiced in the metal industries. The apparatus for accomplishing this is necessarily large and powerful. Hereto-fore, apparatus capable of stripping both big-end up and small-end up ingots was mounted on a special traveling crane and formed a fixed and stationary part of the crane. Such cranes are expensive and require special stripping areas in plants where they are used. This creates the further disadvantage that the mold containing the ingot must be brought to the location of the stripper in order to carry out the stripping operation and the mold and stripped ingot must then be removed to the respective places where they 'are to be further used.

In the present invention, I provide a self-contained portable stripping unit which may be suspended from the hook of any traveling crane capable of lifting the weight of the stripper and the ingot or mold as the case may be.

A special stripping crane is not required and the same crane may be used for st-rippingingots as for carrying or lifting steel plates, bars and the like.

Preferably, I provide an outer housing having an inner axially movable arm carrying a removable bull nose. Mold engaging arms having openings and lugs are provided on the housing for engaging a mold from which an ingot is to be stripped. Disengageable tongs are provided on the housing with means on the housing selectively engaging said tongs for opening and closing the tongs to engage the end of an ingot to be stripped, said tongs into the end of housing adjacent the rectangular framebeing movable independently of the mold engaging means.

I provide for alternatively lifting the mold while pushing the ingot out of the mold and for lifting the ingot while pushing the mold downwardly away from the ingot. Thus, the stripper may alternatively strip small-end up ingots or big-end up ingots and may carry the empty mold or the stripped ingot as the case may be to any desired location and deposit it.

Other advantages, objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings, in Which FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a stripper according to my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view looking from the right of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a View on the line IIIIII of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE-4 is a view on the line IVIV of FIGURE 1. Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated a portable ingot stripper made up of a cylindrical housing 10 carrying an upper generally rectangular framework 11 fixed thereto adjacent one end. A head member 12 is fitted work 11. A clevis 13 is pivoted on a shaft '14 which extends through the head member 12 and the housing 10. An axially extending stem 15 is fixed at one end in the head member 12 and extends axially downwardly through the housing 10. The end of the stem 15 is provided with a piston head 16 carrying sealing packing 17. A movable cylinder 18 surrounds the head 16 and is movable thereover along the stem 15. One end of the cylinder is provided with a head 19 which surrounds stem 15 in sealing engagement. The other end of cylinder 18 is provided with a head 20 carrying an adaptor 21 fastened thereto by bolts 22. The adaptor 21 is adapted to receive the end of a bull nose 23 which is held in place by a removable pin 24 which passes through the end of the bull nose and through openings 25 in the side walls of adaptor 21. The hull nose 23 may be removed from the adaptor by removing pin 24. Mold engaging arms 26 are pivoted on pins 27 suspended from the framework 11. Each of the arms 26 is provided with a bell crank arm 28 lying transverse to housing 10 and engaged by piston 29 operated by a hydraulic cylinder 30. Fluid for energizing hydraulic cylinder 30 is furnished by a hydraulic pump 31 driven through pulley 32 from pulley 33 on motor 34- all mou-nted on framework 11. Hydraulic fluid is delivered to. one side or the other of piston 16 from hydraulic pump 35 also driven by motor 34. The fluid is delivered from pump 35 through passage 15a in stem 15 and opening 36 or alternatively through passage 15b in stem 15 and opening 37 depending whether it is desired to extend or retract cylinder 18. A semi-cylindrical bearing pad 38 is mounted on end 19 of cylinder 18.- A

cross-arm 39 surrounding the shaft 15 is mounted on bearing pad 38 and is provided with notched arms 4t which extend through slots 41 extending axially along the sides of housing 10 from the head member 12 to a point intermediate the length of housing 10. An annular ring 42 surrounds the housing 10 at the end opposite the head member 12 and is slidable vertically on the housing. Clevises 43 are pivoted on pins 44 mounted in the ring 42. Each clevis is provided with an opening 45 adapted to pass over and be engaged by arms 40 of the cross-arm. A second annular ring 46 surrounds the housing beneath the ring 4-2 and is suspended on supporting rods 47 mounted in frame 11. The annular ring 46 is provided with a pair of outwardly extending ears 48 which carry a shaft 49 upon which are pivoted tongs 50. One end of the tongs is provided with a pivoted shoe 51 adapted to slide on an inclined surface 52 on annular ring 42. The other end of the tongs is provided with a bit 53 removably held in place by a bolt 54. This bit is preferably hardened and adapted to be forced into the.

pump 35 through opening 37 causing the cylinder 18 to i move downwardly engaging the hull nose 23 against the j top of the ingot. As the bull nose exerts pressure and continues to move downwardly the ingot stripper is raised by means of hook 55 at the same rate of speed so that the mold is raised away from the ingot. When the ingot is loosened within the mold the hydraulic feed to cylinder 18 is stopped and the stripper is raised by the crane hook 55 until the mold is free of the ingot. If a big-end up ingot is to be stripped, the bull nose 23 is removed by drawing pin 24 and the cylinder 18 is lowered until the cross-arm 39 is in position such that the openings 45 in the clevis 43 may be passed over arms 40. The mold engaging arms 26 are then moved into position such that the stop members 26b rest on top of the mold. Hydraulic fluid is delivered from pump 35 through opening 36 into cylinder 18 causing the cylinder to move vertically upwardly. This causes the inclined surfaces 52 to move upwardly and the shoes 51 to act on tongs 50 bringing the bits 53 into engagement with the end of the ingot. When engagement has been completed continued flow of hydraulic fluid into cylinder 18 causes the ingot to be pulled upwardly up out of the mold. In stripping the ingot from the mold the stripper assembly is raised by crane hook 55 until the ingot is free of the mold and the ingot is then delivered to the desired place in the plant.

While I have illustrated a present preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A portable ingot stripper comprising a housing, a hydraulic cylinder and piston, one fixed to the housing and the other vertically movable in said housing, means on the housing supplying fluid to opposite ends of said cylinder whereby to relatively move said cylinder and piston, a removable bull nose on the movable member of said cylinder and piston, mold engaging arms pivoted on said housing and movable in a vertical are from a position out of engagement with a mold to a position in engagement with a mold, hydraulic means on the housing acting on said mold engaging arms to cause them to move, said arms having mold lug engaging openings and spaced mold top bearing stops, a cross-arm movable with the movable member of said cylinder and piston, cam means slidably mounted on the housing, attaching means on the cam means connectable to said cross-arms and selectively movable with said cross-arms axially with respect to the housing, tong means pivoted on the housing, and cam follower means on the tong means adapted to ride on the cam means to close and open the tongs, said bull nose and said cam means being selectively interchangeably used in conjunction with the movable member of said cylinder and piston.

2. A portable ingot stripper comprising a housing, a hydraulic piston fixed to the housing, a cylinder surrounding said piston and movable vertically thereon, means on the housing selectively supplying fluid to opposite ends of the cylinder on opposite sidesof the piston whereby to relatively move said cylinder with respect to the piston in the housing, a removable bull nose on the cylinder, mold engaging arms pivoted at one end on said housing and movable in a vertical are from a position out of engagement with a mold to a position in engagement with a mold, means acting on said mold engaging arms to move them in said are, said arms having mold engaging openings and spaced mold top bearing stops at the opposite end, a cross-arm movable with the cylinder, cam means slidably mounted on the housing, attaching means on the cam means connectable to said cross-arm and selectively movable to carry the cam means axially with respect to the housing, tong means pivoted on the housing, cam follower means on the tong means, adapted to ride on the cam means to open and close the tongs of said bull nose and said cam means being selectively interchangeably used in conjunction with the cylinder.

3. A portable ingot stripper comprising a housing, a lift eye on one end of said housing, a hydraulic cylinder and piston, one fixed to the housing and the other axially movable in said housing, means on the housing supplying tluid to opposite ends of said cylinder whereby to relatively move said cylinder and piston, a removable bull nose on the movable member of said cylinder and piston, mold engaging arms pivoted on said housing and movable in a vertical are from a position out of engagement with a mold to a position in engagement with a mold, hydraulic means acting on said mold engaging arms said arms having mold lug engaging openings and spaced mold top bearing stops, a pair of diametrically opposed slots in the housing beginning adjacent the lift eye and extending intermediate the ends of the housing, a cross-arm movable in said slots with the movable member of said cylinder and piston, cam means slidably mounted on the housing, clevis means on the cam means connectable to said cross-arms and selectively movable with said cross-arms to carry said cam means axially with respect to the housing, tong means pivoted on the housing, and cam follower means on the tong means adapted to ride on the cam means to close and open the tongs, said bull nose and said cam means being selectively interchangeably used in conjunction with the movable member of said cylinder and piston.

4. A portable ingot stripper comprising a housing, a lift eye adapted to receive a crane hook on one end of said housing, a hydraulic piston fixed to the housing, a cylinder surrounding said piston and movable vertically thereon, means on the housing selectively supplying fluid to opposite ends of the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston whereby to relatively move said cylinder with respect to the piston in the housing, a removable bull nose on the cylinder, mold engaging arms pivoted at one end on said housing and movable in a vertical are from a position out of engagement with a mold to a position in engagement with a mold, means acting on said mold engaging arm to move them in said are, said arms having mold engaging openings and spaced mold top bearing stops at the opposite end, a pair of diametrically opposed slots in the housing beginning adjacent the lift eye and extending intermediate the ends of the housing, a crossarm movable in said slots with the cylinder, cam means slidably mounted on the housing, clevis means on the cam means connectable to said cross-arm and selectively movable to carry the cam means axially with respect to the housing, tong means pivoted on the housing, cam follower means on the tong means, adapted to ride on the cam means to open and close the tongs of said bull nose and said cam means being selectively interchangeably used in conjunction with the cylinder.

5. A portable ingot stripper comprising a housing, a lift eye on one end of said housing, an axially extending shaft fixed to the housing, a piston on said shaft intermediate the ends of said housing, a cylinder surrounding said piston and movable vertically thereon, means on the housing selectively supplying fluid to opposite ends of the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston whereby to relatively move said cylinder with respect to the piston in the housing, a removable bull nose on the cylinder, mold engaging arms pivoted at one end on said housing and movable in a vertical are from a position out of engagement with a mold to a position in engagement with a mold, means acting on said mold engaging arm to move them in said are, said arms having mold engaging openings and spaced mold top bearing stops at the opposite end, a pair of diametrically opposed slots in the housing beginning adjacent the lift eye and extending intermediate the ends of the housing, a cross-arm movable in said slots with the cylinder, cam means slidably mounted on the housing, attaching means on the cam means connectable to said cross-arm and selectively movable to carry the cam means axially with respect to the housing, tong means pivoted on the housing, cam follower means 5 on the tong means, adapted to ride on the cam means to open and close the tongs of said bull nose and said cam means being selectively interchangeably used in conjunction with the cylinder.

6. A portable ingot stripper as claimed in claim 5 wherein the cam means are inclines on opposite sides of a (ring surrounding the housing and slidable axially thereon and the ring is supported on elevises selectively removable from the cross-arm.

7. A portable ingot stripper as claimed in claim 5 wherein the bull nose is an elongated member engaged 6 on the cylinder end by a removable pin passing through openings in the bull nose and cylinder.

8. A portable'ingot stripper as claimed in claim 5 wherein the tong means is provided with hardened bits 5 adapted to bite into and engage an ingot head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,398,844 Danforth Nov. 29, 1921 10 2,641,806 Leckrone June 16, 1953 2,842,821 Harry July 15, 1958 

